Do you do extra at work?

[Noonelikesasloppytrifle]

I work in a very stressful job which is crap money for the level of responsibility and workload (27k pa). I never take a lunch break and literally do not stop all day. My contracted hours are 8.30 - 16. 30. I stay late at least 2/3 times per week by around 40 minutes. By the time I get home ( 18 15 after commute) I have nothing left to give. I also have 4 DC.

Despite the lack of lunch break and the extra time, I can not fulfil the requirements of my job in the time allocated. I have raised this with my LM in writing so that when something goes horribly wrong I can demonstrate that I have communicated this. I am not inefficient and I am very capable but I do not have capacity to deal with the volume in the time available.

Some in my role log on at night to make up some work but I refuse to do this. For one, the day completely takes it out of me and secondly I am not paid enough to make work my life.

Do you work extra in your role and if so what is it that makes you do it? I feel that if my job was well paid and recognised I would be willing to do more but as it's not then I will not. This does however make me feel guilty and, quite often, like I am failing.

@Noonelikesasloppytrifle i was a pastoral attendance officer in a secondary school, every day on my jobs list was I would have to consolidate registers for 1100 kids, phone every single absentee and add comments, follow up those who hadn’t arrived in school (daily occurrence) plus deal with all the admin, do a break duty, provide reporting, and actually work with kids and families to get persistent absentees actually into school. I was on 14,400 a year as they wouldn’t rate the role as higher than band 3 which is secretarial. It was the most miserable time in my life, the parents hate you, the teachers don’t respect you, and the trust don’t value you. I very nearly had a breakdown from stress. I could have stopped all the overtime but then I genuinely felt a child was going to go missing or get hurt and it would be my fault.

I now work for a lovely little charity, doing data from home. I never do a minute overtime. I’m paid more. I get breaks. My work life balance is so different now. Schools are going to be in big trouble if they keep treating essential support staff like shit because they will absolutely leave and get better offers elsewhere.

I work for the nhs. I do work extra when needed but my boss is great at encouraging full TOIL when this happens which means I can get my time back which suits me fine. On my previous job (also nhs) it was a given that you worked extra and never allowed TOIL.

Yes in my old job. We were about to merge with another firm. I was working from my kitchen table at night with a Skelton staff. Promised loads by new employer and it never happened. I basically kept the old business going until the merger went through. The new owners staff stepped in and overtook everything. Clients and customers left and then so did I.

Look after yourself OP. Work to hours don’t get taken for a mug like I was for little money - yes to the poster who arrogantly above said people on low wages can’t have responsibility. They absolutely can.

I used to work in a role , I was the lowest paid in the team but willing to learn and progress. My pay never caught up with my output. When I went on maternity, on my return I asked if I could work 2 or 3 days a week from the local office to my house and nursery (before WFH became the norm) this was so I could save some money on petrol as paying out for nursery. They said no so I handed my notice in. They replaced me with two people ! Same again for my next role worked hard to progress but the pay never caught up - I left after 12 years and replacement was given the management role and no doubt pay associated with the role as deserved.

My current role paid much better but will be more cautious of giving more of myself and strive for a work life balance.

I would never do any extra hours in this scenario.

You have made it clear to them that there is an issue and your manager is doing nothing so you have to stop the extra, unpaid hours because if you don't they will just ignore your concerns.

This sounds like me in my previous job.

I was a teacher and working the same hours as you but earning less (it was TTO pay).

I had no choice but to work evenings, weekends and holidays unpaid because I needed to have stuff done by a certain deadline like planning lessons.

In the end I got a different job which wasn’t as stressful and didn’t expect me to do extra hours.
I don’t have any regrets at all.

I would seriously consider getting a different job.